An inquiry into: the nature of the self, beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Choices

• Central Idea: the choices of individuals influence a group.
• Key Concepts: causation, function
• Related Concepts: conflict, community, change
• Lines of Inquiry: the different strategies for resolving conflict, how your actions impact others, how we recognize and take responsibility for our own feelings

An inquiry into: the nature of the self, beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Relationships

• Central Idea:behavior impacts relationships with others and our environment.
• Key Concepts: causation, responsibility
• Related Concepts: conflict resolution, fairness, expectations, relationships
• Lines of Inquiry: how communication affects relationships, group interactions, virtual behavior and relationships

An inquiry into: the nature of the self, beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Change Catalysts

• Central Idea: individuals can cause change locally and globally.
• Key Concepts: change, responsibility, perspective
• Related Concepts: empathy, beliefs and values, motive
• Lines of Inquiry:ways to take action, reasons to seek change, change catalysts throughout history

An inquiry into: the nature of the self, beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

Human Rights

• Central Idea: individuals and groups affect human rights locally and globally.
• Key Concepts: form, responsibility, perspective
• Related Concepts: prejudice, wealth, accessibility
• Lines of Inquiry: the rights humans have, human rights violations, our responsibility toward human rights

An inquiry into: orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global perspectives.

Family Traditions and Structure

• Central Idea: unique family structures and traditions help create diversity. 
• Key Concepts: form, perspective, responsibility
• Related Concepts: traditions, cooperation, roles
• Lines of Inquiry:  family structure, what makes a family, how families are alike and different

An inquiry into: orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global perspectives.

Innovation

• Central Idea: using the design cycle leads to innovation.
• Key Concepts: function, change, responsibility
• Related Concepts: innovation, progress, history, engineering, simple machines
• Lines of Inquiry: how and why we create and innovate, the design cycle, the impact of innovation, both past and present

An inquiry into: orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global perspectives.

Space

• Central Idea: earth and its atmosphere are part of a complex universe. 
• Key Concepts: form, function
• Related Concepts: systems, exploration, atmosphere, gravity
• Lines of Inquiry: celestial bodies, factors that make a planet habitable, ways we learn about the universe

An inquiry into: orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global perspectives.

Cultural Geography

• Central Idea: (Im)migration shapes communities.
• Key Concepts: change, causation, perspective
• Related Concepts: migration, population, adaptation, immigration, stereotypes
• Lines of Inquiry: local and global impacts of (im)migration, reasons people (im)migrate, attitudes toward (im)migration

An inquiry into: orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations; from local and global perspectives.

Scientific Innovation and Exploration

• Central Idea: scientific exploration challenges us to innovate, imagine and create
• Key Concepts: function, causation
• Related Concepts: scale, proportion, science fiction, space, systems, limitations
• Lines of inquiry: the limitations of scientific exploration, implications for the future, science in writing

An inquiry into: ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings and nature, culture beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect, extend and enjoy creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Public Art

• Central Idea: public art influences and is influenced by a community
• Key Concepts: function, perspective, form
• Related Concepts: communication, citizenship, landscape
• Lines of Inquiry: what art is, the role of art in a community, communicating ideas through art

An inquiry into: ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings and nature, culture beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect, extend and enjoy creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Poetry

• Central Idea: feelings, ideas and discoveries can be shared through poetry
• Key Concepts: form, function, perspective
• Related Concepts: communication, identity, expression
• Lines of Inquiry: what poetry is, experimenting with language and sound to create meaning, responding to poetry

An inquiry into: ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings and nature, culture beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect, extend and enjoy creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Written and Oral Expression

• Central Idea: stories have structure and purpose
• Key Concepts: form, function
• Related Concepts: storyteller's purpose, story elements, presentation and delivery
• Lines of Inquiry: why people tell stories, story structure and format, ways of storytelling

An inquiry into: ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings and nature, culture beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect, extend and enjoy creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Light and Sound

• Central Idea: people can use light and sound waves to creatively express themselves
• Key Concepts: form, function, perspective
• Related Concepts: properties of waves, behavior, expression
• Lines of Inquiry: the science of light and sound, art can be a reflection of our feelings and experiences, creative ways to display light and sound

An inquiry into: ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings and nature, culture beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect, extend and enjoy creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

Persuasion

• Central Idea: there are many ways to influence others
• Key Concepts: causation, perspective
• Related Concepts: communication, purpose, presentation
• Lines of Inquiry: persuasion techniques, persuasion vs. argument, tools to enhance communication

An inquiry into: the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Biodiversity

• Central Idea: biodiversity relies on maintaining the interdependent balance of organisms within ecosystems
• Key Concepts: connection, causation, change
• Related Concepts: interdependence, adaptations, classification, ecology
• Lines of Inquiry: how living things use adaptations to survive, how scientific observation fuels our understanding of the natural world, how energy moves through an ecosystem

An inquiry into: the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Weather

• Central Idea: people use observations and technology to investigate weather and its influence on the community
• Key Concepts: change, causation, connection
• Related Concepts: climate, systems, weather, water cycle, seasons
• Lines of Inquiry: different types of weather cycles, using scientific tools and technology to observe and collect data on weather, the effects of weather on communities

An inquiry into: the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Forces

• Central Idea: earth's events can occur quickly or slowly
• Key Concepts: causation, change
• Related Concepts: plate tectonics, erosion, natural disasters, geology
• Lines of Inquiry: ways land changes over time, small and large scale forces, ways of investigating earth's changes

An inquiry into: the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Electricity

• Central Idea: electricity impacts humans and the environment
• Key Concepts: form, change, causation
• Related Concepts: properties, transformation, natural resources, energy
• Lines of Inquiry: properties of electricity, generating, storing, and transferring electricity, how different electricity use and production affects the environment

An inquiry into: the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Curious about Chemistry

• Central Idea: the properties and states of matter can change and determine its use
• Key Concepts: change, form, function
• Related Concepts: structure, properties, role, behavior, transformation
• Lines of Inquiry: structure and properties of matter, analysis of how chemistry has influenced both past and present, reactions that can occur when materials combine

An inquiry into: the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Accessibility

• Central Idea: physical accessibility impacts how people experience their environment
• Key Concepts: change, responsibility, perspective
• Related Concepts: justice, citizenship, prejudice, innovation
• Lines of Inquiry: the varied ways people's bodies can be, how engineering and technology make accessibility possible, the responsibilities of individuals and societies to respond to the needs of people with disabilities

An inquiry into: the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Wants and Needs

• Central Idea: individuals and communities attempt to fulfill their wants and needs in different ways
• Key Concepts: form, causation
• Related Concepts: wants and needs, diversity, production
• Lines of Inquiry: the wants and needs of a community, the production of goods and delivery of services, how money is used

An inquiry into: the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Exploration

• Central Idea: there are many reasons people explore the world
• Key Concepts: causation, responsibility
• Related Concepts: ownership, impact, exploration, discovery
• Lines of Inquiry: what exploration is, explorers past and present, responsibilities and consequences of exploration

An inquiry into: the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment

Economic Impact

• Central Idea: choices people make about how they earn and spend money have local and global impact
• Key Concepts: form, function, causation
• Related Concepts: economics, values, systems
• Lines of Inquiry: what economics is, the ways goods and services are produced, local and global impact of economic choices

An inquiry into: the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Government Systems

• Central Idea: government systems and citizens are influenced by each other
• Key Concepts: function, connection, responsibility
• Related Concepts: equality, citizenship, governance, law, politics
• Lines of Inquiry: how government systems function, the relationship between governments and citizens, how decision-making processes affect human rights

An inquiry into: rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Freshwater

• Central Idea: fresh water is a limited resource and essential to life
• Key Concepts: function, responsibility, connection
• Related Concepts: conservation, pollution, water system
• Lines of Inquiry: sources of water and how they are used, how living things depend on clean water, responsibility with water

An inquiry into: rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Survival

• Central Idea: species have specific traits and adaptations that help them survive
• Key Concepts: form, causation, responsibility
• Related Concepts: survival, adaptation, migration
• Lines of Inquiry: traits and adaptations, migration and its obstacles, human role in a species survival

An inquiry into: rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Environmental Impact

• Central Idea: over time, humans affect the environment in different ways
• Key Concepts: responsibility, perspective, causation
• Related Concepts: impact, interdependence, growth
• Lines of Inquiry: the impact of human wants and needs, consumption of natural resources, responsibility toward the environment

An inquiry into: rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Interdependence

• Central Idea: living things have interdependent relationships
• Key Concepts: connection, change, responsibility
• Related Concepts: interdependence, initiative, behavior
• Lines of Inquiry: types of relationships within an ecosystem, the outcome of changes in ecosystems, ways our personal actions affect ecosystems

An inquiry into: rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

Exhibition

Central ideas, concepts and lines of inquiry will be developed by students with the support of the teachers.